The best museums Romandy

The majestic castle overlooks the Rhone Valley, opposite the castle of Valère. It is one of the four castles of Sion. Built in the 13th century by Boniface de Challant, it was damaged in the 15th century by the Valaisan patriots, then restored by William VI of Raron, who added a chapel. The castle of Tourbillon was then the summer residence of the bishops until the fire of 1788. Classified as a historic monument by the Canton of Valais at the beginning of the last century, Tourbillon was recognised as a site of national importance by the Confederation in 1970.

The narrow entrance to the museum leads to a 500 m² space where the entire history of photography is retraced, from the magic lanterns to the digital age. The collection of cameras is impressive and the explanations are detailed, especially concerning a whole series of amazing inventions such as the photographic cane, in 1902, which made it possible to take pictures discreetly! A special course has been planned for the younger ones.

It's a paradise for children, who choose their own miniature locomotives to take their parents for a ride! Scale models of over fifteen steam, petrol and electric locomotives take you on a tour of the park, where typical local and international architecture has been precisely reproduced. Originally designed for the private maintenance and running of these little model railways, the park is now open to all, to the delight of young and old alike. The park is very welcoming and well-maintained.

This former episcopal residence, converted into a museum, houses the archaeological finds of the Petit-Chasseur site. It is made up of two large historical sections dating from 50,000 BC to 2150! You can follow in the footsteps of the history of the Valais. We discover ceramic remains from the Roman period, and coins. An entire room is devoted to the magnificent wooden chests dating from the 13th and 14th centuries, known to be one of the most beautiful sets in Europe.

Built between the 12th and 13th centuries, the building harmoniously combines Romanesque and Gothic styles. See the altar and the statue of the Virgin from the 14th century. On the walls and the vault of the apse, all the paintings were made in the 15th century, especially the second register with the representation of twelve prophets. In the choir, there is a painting of the Adoration of the Magi and sculpted stalls that hide a 15th century fresco representing the Annunciation.

In the Plateforme 10 arts district, a new showcase has been designed to house unique collections of over 1.2 million phototypes. Exhibitions by renowned photographers such as Robert Doisneau and Irving Penn, as well as those by young talents, will be on show throughout the year in the permanent collection and in temporary exhibitions. Various meetings and conferences are organized throughout the year. The New Generation Museum shares its museum space with the MUDAC Design Museum.

The MCBA, formerly housed in the Palais Rumine, is a key element of Plateforme 10, alongside the mudac and Photo Élysées. The building, adorned with bricks evoking the site's industrial past, boasts forward-looking architecture. Inside, the large glass roof and spacious rooms set the tone: space is given over to light and new perspectives. On the second floor, a large bay window opens onto the lake.

"See here what you can't see anywhere else! The MCBA's collection is very rich and constantly rethinking itself. It brings together a large number of works from the Renaissance to the present day. Over the centuries, these works have been inspired by various currents (classicism, orientalism, impressionism, expressionism, informal art, etc.) and reflect the influences felt by Swiss artists during their travels. The museum brings together the various currents: religious paintings, portraits, exotic descriptions of travels, history, post-impressionism, symbolism, which we discover, among others, with Ferdinand Hodler and his superb paintings of Lake Geneva. Highlights include neo-classicism, academicism, realism, symbolism and post-impressionism; abstract painting in Europe and the United States; Swiss and international video art; new figuration; geometric abstraction and, across all periods, artistic practices reflecting political and social commitment. Other important monographic collections include works by Charles Gleyre, Félix Vallotton, Louis Soutter, Pierre Soulages and Giuseppe Penone. We have the pleasure of discovering sculptures by Rodin and Bourdelle, avant-garde paintings, works by Giacometti, Jean Dubuffet, Paul Klee and Louis Soutter, as well as the abstract expressionism of Cy Twombly, the pop art of the 1970s and the abstraction of the 1980s..

The MCBA is resolutely forward-looking, fascinating and constantly reinventing itself through its dynamic new temporary exhibitions, encounters between artists and the public, workshops and events. Guided tours, workshops for children, families and adults, or guided tours by the curators of temporary exhibitions: the museum team is constantly coming up with new ideas to involve the public of all ages and backgrounds, in an educational and inclusive perspective.

Here is a real exploration in the skin of a zoologist, a specialist of the sea bed, a botanist, a geologist... This excellent museum, with a very dynamic management, obtains all the suffrages with the children as with the adults. It is a real journey before time, one could almost say that the animals have a "second life" installed in the heart of their natural environment. Each floor has recreated a new climatic environment. The world of the savannah is in the background to highlight the elephants, giraffes, antelopes, gazelles and wildcats, so much so that one could almost believe they are still alive.

We pass successively from continent to continent, in tropical countries, from the equator to the arctic, desert or temperate worlds. One passes to the world of birds, to the underwater world, to the mineral world, from floor to floor, without forgetting the presentation of the famous Lucy and the two-headed turtle, the highlight of the museum. The museum regularly organizes very good temporary exhibitions on the scientific issues of the future, current topics, including the environment, as well as conferences on geosciences, fossils, dinosaurs, volcanoes, or guided tours with exciting themes. Regularly: "Ciné-samedi/ciné-dimanche", Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm. Animations on Wednesdays from 2 to 4:30 pm. An excellent museum, therefore, of which the children do not get tired. We always go back there!

The Fondation Les Cerlatez, created in 1993 and located 3 km from Saignelégier, develops activities in the field of information, research and protection on the theme of wetlands and in particular on peat bogs. You will discover the particularities of the peat bogs which, in Switzerland, began at the end of the ice age, 12,000 years ago. You can also visit the Maison de la réserve naturelle de l'étang de la Gruère, the vivarium and the small botanical garden.